Category: News

On the 20th June LKAB and Hector Rail AB signed a new 5-year contract, starting in December 2017. LKAB is the biggest Iron Ore producer in Europe and are based in Kiruna and Malmberget. Hector Rail is an independent freight logistics supplier for the European Rail Transport Market with operations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany. Both parties focus on ensuring their customers’ needs are met through quality, stability and reliability of results. The contract is to run traffic from Luleå to Kiruna via Malmberget 7 days a week, Hector Rail will also provide shunting in Luleå and Malmberget. To support both parties’ commitment to sustainability and the environment the new Vectron Locomotive has been selected for the contract. The Vectron maximizes the use of the electric locomotive and negates…

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of David Knowles as Managing Director, Hector Rail AB, Sweden, effective on the 10th April 2017. David is currently COO of GB Railfreight and has been a key member of the Executive team for nearly 7 years. With over 25 years experience in the Railfreight Industry David has a wealth of operational and industry expertise. He has been accountable for the delivery of significant growth and the development of industry leading teams that have created and maintain GB Railfreight’s exceptional reputation and success. As well as leading and enabling company performance and efficiency, David will play a crucial role in helping Hector Rail AB achieve its strategic goals. David will have an important role to play in the development of the Hector…

Hector Rail will manage SCA's railway transports of round wood Hector Rail AB has entered into an agreement with SCA Skog AB to for ten years provide transports of round wood to SCA's mills and sawmills in northern Sweden, from Sundsvall in the south to Piteå in the north. In general, the new agreement will lead to increased train sizes. This means increased efficiency on SCA terminals in the railway operation and for the rail infrastructure. Hector Rail will as a consequence of the new operational set-up invest in new locomotives, which can haul heavier trains, regenerate electricity when braking and the mew locomotives can shunt in and out of terminals without need for a catenary. The wagon fleet will also be replaced to a new generation of wagons with…

Hector Rail and ARS Altmann have agreed that Hector Rail will transport cars from the south of Germany. In total Hector Rail will run approximately 600 000 train kms per year for ARS Altmann. The agreement is for three years. ARS Altmann is a provider of vehicle logistics solutions founded in 1975. The annual turnover is some 300 MEUR. Wagons are provided from ARS Altmann. - We are proud of the trust ARS Altmann has given us through this deal. This is our first contract for car transportation and an important step in our strategy to become an important player in the German rail market, says Mats Nyblom MD at Hector Rail AB. The traffic will start on January 9. The annual production will exceed 125 000 cars which means…

Hector Rail and Samskip have agreed to develop their partnership on Sweden and the continent further. As of the 1st of January six round trips per week between Helsingborg in Sweden and Duisburg in the Ruhr area in Germany, via Copenhagen in Denmark, will be added to the existing operations. Hector Rail and Samskip do cooperate already between Duisburg and Malmö, Almhult, Nässjö, Katrineholm and Gothenburg. Both the old and the new operations are based on the same concept with through-going locomotives between Germany and Sweden via the fixed link through Denmark. January 2008, the co-operation between the companies started with the first direct trains ever between Scandinavia and the continent. Today, the Duisburg – Helsingborg train is an overnight service, allowing for quick door-to-door transit times. Collections can be…

Hector Rail and Trätåg AB has agreed that Hector Rail with short notice begins to operate the so-called "Trätågs-concept". This means that Hector Rail will transport about 2.5 million cubic meters of round wood from various timber terminals to a number of mills in central Sweden. The first trains are expected to be in operation before Christmas. The agreement is for five years. Hector Rail will initially operate like today's set-up, but will in a future situation streamline the production by inserting completely new electric locomotives in the service. These locomotives mean a more rational production by larger and heavier trains and the locomotives can at the terminals operate without the catenary and the locos can be remote controlled. Among the major terminals Lomsmyren in Mora, Vansbro and Ljusdal can…

Mats Nyblom will step down as Managing Director for Hector Rail AB, but will remain as an advisor to the Hector Rail Group. Mats Nyblom has elected to leave his position as Managing Director (MD) of Hector Rail AB on December 23, 2016. He will thereafter remain as an advisor to the newly formed Hector Rail Group. "Having founded Hector Rail twelve years ago and acted as Managing Director ever since, it is now time for me and Hector Rail to move on. It has been a fantastic experience to build such a reputable company together with our employees, customers and suppliers. The timing is now right for me to step down and hand over to the next generation." says Mats Nyblom "There would be no Hector Rail without Mats…

Hector Rail’s owner EQT Infrastructure II has submitted an irrevocable offer to acquire GB Railfreight, UK’s third largest rail freight operator. The proposed acquisition is an integral part of EQT Infrastructure II’s strategy to create a leading independent pan-European rail freight operator through the expansion of Hector Rail Group. The intent is to integrate GB Railfreight into Hector Rail Group, if the offer is accepted. EQT Infrastructure II has via Hector Rail Group submitted an irrevocable offer to acquire GB Railfreight Limited from Groupe Eurotunnel SE. The acquisition is subject to consultation with Groupe Eurotunnel’s staff representative bodies, after which EQT Infrastructure II and Groupe Eurotunnel are ready to quickly move forward with the transaction and enter into binding agreements. Founded in 1999 by the current CEO John Smith, GB…

Hector Rail has entered into an agreement with Skandinaviska Jernbanor to haul their so-called "Blue Train" between Stockholm and Gothenburg. This means that the Blue Train is back on the market from and including 11 December 2016. The Blue Train is a popular passenger train which focuses on the genuine travel experience and with a high level of service and the on-board food. Blue Train began operating December 11, 2011 and has since its inception been a unique offering in the Swedish travel market. Scandinavian Jernbanor, the company behind the "Blue Train", has decided to hire Hector Rail as responsible for the formal train production including providing traction. Skandinaviska Jernbanor will focus on its core business, the travel experience. “The Blue Train” takes railways proud tradition as a way to…

Hector Rail and Stora Enso have agreed to continue cooperation to transport timber from Norway to mills in Skoghall (Karlstad) and Grums until end of 2022. The cooperation began in 2008 and the business has since then tripled the volumes. As part of the modernisation of the business will Hector Rail insert freight wagons with larger profile and introduce new locomotives, which means better environmental adaptation and more streamlined operations. The service means transports of approximately 1.5 million cubic meters of timber from a number of terminals in Gudbrandsdalen and Østerdalen. The new arrangement will be introduced by 2018 and means that Hector Rail is developing the wagon fleet with larger profile. The new arrangement has a strong focus on the environment, rationality and quality. A large part of the…